S.I. No. 362/2003 - Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003

I, Michael McDowell, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 1 (5) of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 (No. 31 of 2003) hereby order as follows:

1.         This order may be cited as the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003.

2.         The 18^th day of August 2003 is fixed as the day on which the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 (No. 31 of 2003), other than the following provisions, comes into operation:

(a)       sections 10, 14, 15, 16(b)(ii) and 19;

(b)       section 23 (in so far as it relates to section 19 of that Act and to section 34A of the Act of 1988);

(c)       section 25 (in so far as it inserts subsection (3) of section 15 of the Equal Status Act 2000 ).

3.         The 29^th day of September 2003 is fixed as the day on which the following provisions of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 (No. 31 of 2003) come into operation:

(a)        sections 10, 14, 15, 16(b)(ii) and 19;

(b)        section 23 (in so far as it relates to section 19 of that Act and to section 34A of the Act of 1988);

(c)        section 25 (in so far as it inserts subsection (3) of section 15 of the Equal Status Act 2000 ).

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

This Order brings into operation the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 with effect from 18 August 2003, other than the following provisions, which will come into operation on 29 September 2003:

•    Section 10 (closing time on Thursdays to revert to 11.30 p.m.),

•    Section 14 (restrictions on presence in bars of persons under 18 years),

•    Section 15 (production of evidence of age by persons aged 18 to 20),

•    Section 16(b)(ii) (this provision makes it an offence for a person aged 15 to 17 to be in the bar of licensed premises after 9 p.m. unless attending a private function at which a substantial meal is served to persons attending the function),

•    Section 19 (transfer of jurisdiction from Equality Tribunal to District Court in cases of prohibited conduct on licensed premises),

•    Section 23 (application of the Act to registered clubs), in so far as it relates to section 19 of the Act and to section 34A of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1988 (inserted by section 15),

•    Section 25, in so far as it inserts subsection (3) of section 15 of the Equal Status Act 2000 (which relates to the discretion of licensees in relation to the presence of persons under 18 in the bar of licensed premises).